Abstract

The rapid spread of invasive lionfish threatens marine ecosystems, challenging scientists and resource managers to de-velop new management tools and presenting an opportunity to engage citizens in invasive species management. In many places, recreational scuba divers have been recruited to support lionfish management efforts by providing scientists with data on where lionfish are and by removing lionfish they see. Lionfish derbies, where individuals and teams compete to cap-ture and kill as many as they can, and community events, which provide people with an opportunity to learn more about and taste lionfish, are increasing in popularity. Engaging scuba divers in the pursuit of lionfish provides divers with an oppor-tunity to do something positive from the environment, potentially offsetting some of the damage to reefs divers can cause. This presentation uses data from lionfish events held in Florida and in Utila, Honduras to explore how these elicit interest and participation from recreational scuba divers. Sampling lionfish, learning about the invasion, and innate competitiveness all contribute to interest in pursuing lionfish. Going forward, resource managers should build programs which capitalize on and expand this interest to maximize the number of people actively removing lionfish.

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